Top 10 Presidential Sex Scandals
by user DNL Warren G. Harding In 1927, Nan Britton penned a book called A President's Daughter -- speaking, of course, of her illegitimate daughter with Prez Harding. The book was censored greatly, being called obscene and slanderous by the powers that be in the era. Courts ruled that Britton's daughter was not begotten from Harding (yes, I said "begotten", and used the passive voice!), but the tide of history has started to flow in for Britton's case. We may never know, but imagine... James Buchanan Rumors abound about the 15th president. The only bachelor president, Buchanan almost avoided that moniker. He was engaged to be married to one Anne Coleman, but the allegedly rich and attractive young lady broke off the engagement and died a week later, probably by suicide. Some suspect that there's a good reason why Buchanan never sought a wife after that -- he may have been gay. Per one historian: ::Buchanan’s long-time living companion, William Rufus King, was referred to by critics as his “better half,” ‘’his wife,” and “Aunt Fancy.” Around Washington, the pair were known as the “Siamese twins,” slang at the time for gays and lesbians. And when King was appointed envoy to France, in 1844, Buchanan lamented to a friend that “I have gone wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any of them.” Not that there's anything wrong with that. Abe Lincoln If Buchanan was our first gay President, his successor, Honest Abe, may have been #2. Says one Tufts University professor, Scott Thompson: "Make no mistake - Abe Lincoln was gay." Historians point to comments allegedly made by friends of Abe, including his stepmom ("He was not very fond of girls"), and the fact that his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was apparently a walking nag. Per Wikipedia, "Lincoln was high-strung and touchy, and sometimes acted irrationally. She was almost instantly unpopular upon her arrival in the capital." Gary Hart The senator from Colorado was considered the favorite to win the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988, against a solid-but-beatable George H. W. Bush. However, Hart, a married man, had designs for 29 year-old model Donna Rice. When the Miami Herald printed the picture on the right, Hart dropped out of the race, subjecting us all to Michael Dukakis's campaign. Bastard. Rice went on to be a spokesperson against illegal pornography and activist for laws to protect children online. She was even appointed to a Congressional panel by Trent Lott. He right-leaning politics lead some to joke: "In her heart she wanted Bush, but in her bush she wanted Hart." Bill Clinton Whether or not he sexually harrassed and groped Gennifer Flowers, or Paula Jones, or sexually assaulted Juanita Brodrick, or Kathleen Willey, it doesn't really matter. His biggest scandal involved a blue dress from the Gap and a (hopefully Cuban) cigar. And that he, unlike the next guy, couldn't seal the deal. John F. Kennedy Yeah, you'd do it too. Millard Fillmore Not really a scandal, but the dude ended up marrying his teacher, fulfilling every schoolboy's dream. Oh, and he was President of the United States, too. Bob Livingston Not news: A politician has an affair. Not news: Second politician demands the first politician's resignation. Irony: Second politician is having an affair. Not news: A third politician demands that second politician step down. Oddity: Third politician does this by yelling "you resign" during a House speech while second politician is calling for first politican to resign. Total mindfsck: Second politician says "OK." Oh, and: First politician is impeached, doesn't resign, and now is still really damn powerful. Lesson: Bob Livingston is a total moron. Ted Kennedy Went to a party. Brought home some young lady. Drove off a bridge. She died. He called his lawyer before the cops. Hmm.... There's honestly very little reason to believe that the young Senator was having "sexual relations" with Mary Joe Kopechne, but it makes for a sallactious scandal dit. Oh, and it's probably why he didn't run for Prez in 1972. Thomas Jefferson TJ, as he's now refered to by the "in-crowd", may have but probably didn't have sex with his slave, Sally Hemings. As the story goes, DNA tests link Hemings' line to a Jefferson male, but it's just as likely that it was his nephew or something. And Hemings' dad and Jefferson's late wife's dad were the same person, or something like that. In any event, the Jefferson/Hemings link is pretty big, and ... well, here's what Wikipedia says about it: ::In 1802, James T. Callender, a Richmond newspaper reporter, published the first claim that Thomas Jefferson was the father of Sally Hemings's son, Tom. ::In 1798, Callender had been incarcerated by President John Adams under the Sedition Act. Three years later, after Callendar had been released and Jefferson had been elected president, Callender asked Jefferson to appoint him Postmaster of Richmond, Virginia. When Jefferson refused, Callender published his accusation in retaliation. ::Madison Hemings, one of Sally's sons, stated in an 1873 interview that Thomas Jefferson was his father and the father of all of Sally's children, but this was proven to be false by DNA testing in 1998. ::Around 1900, descendants of Thomas Woodson began to publish claims that he was Sally Hemings's son by Thomas Jefferson, conceived in France and born at Monticello in 1790. ::The truth of these rumors was long debated. Evidence advanced in support of the claim included (1) the fact that Hemings was living with Jefferson, either in Paris or at Monticello, at the time of the conceptions of all of her children; (2) statements made by Madison Hemings and another former slave from Monticello who agreed with his account; (3) claims that Hemings's children strongly resembled Jefferson physically; and (4) the fact that Hemings's children were either manumitted or allowed to slip away from Monticello by Jefferson's descendants. ::Thomas Jefferson himself never commented directly on the issue, though some of his remarks have been interpreted as indirect denials. For example, he publicly stated his opposition to miscegenation (a word not yet coined at the time): "Their blacks' amalgamation with the other color," he wrote, "produces a degradation to which no lover of his country, no lover of excellence in the human character, can innocently consent." __NOEDITSECTION__ Category: Opinions Category: Opinions by User DNL Category: April 17, 2007 Category: Democrats Opinions Category: Democratic Opinions Category: Democrat Opinions Category: Republicans Opinions Category: Republican Opinions Category: Ted Kennedy Opinions Category: Warren G. Harding Opinions Category: Abe Lincoln Opinions Category: Bill Clinton Opinions Category: James Buchanan Opinions Category: Gary Hart Opinions Category: John F. Kennedy Opinions Category: Sex Opinions Category: Presidents Opinions Category: President Opinions Category: Thomas Jefferson Opinions Category: Bob Livingston Opinions From The Opinion Wiki, a Wikia wiki. From The Opinion Wiki, a Wikia wiki.